This summer, NHF hosted two groups of four teachers at the Cold War Gallery, for intense two week sessions designed to produce lesson plans for high school and middle school students. The program focuses on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) - a strong emphasis for the Navy going forward. We're pleased to announce that the first two lesson plans have been completed in their online format, and are available to the public for educators. The plans are:

How Linear are Submarine Missiles?

http://usnavymuseum.org/Education_LP0001.asp  

In this unit of study students will relate the dimensions and characteristics of submarine ballistic missiles to scatter plots, volume calculations, and linear regression analysis. Students begin the unit by discussing background information on U.S. Navy Fleet Ballistic Missiles and then completing a group activity to build a life size missile model to understand the immense size of these missiles carried in U.S. Navy ballistic missile submarines. Students then read and evaluate a missile data scatter-plot. Next, students calculate missile volumes from given missile dimensions. Finally, students use their data to compare missile volume to the distance a missile travels, determining the relationship between volume and distance.

Dive! Dive! Buoyancy & Density

http://usnavymuseum.org/Education_LP0002.asp    

This lesson allows students to explore the concepts of density and buoyancy and how the two are related. In the first activity, students will conduct an activity that simulates how a submarine is able to submerge. In the second activity, student will determine the density of an egg by making a saltwater solution that is neutrally buoyant and then calculating the density of the solution.

Kudos to the USNA History Department team, led by Dr. Marcus Jones, for pulling off another outstanding McMullen Naval History Symposium, held at the United States Naval Academy from 15-16 September.

Once again over 200 of the world's leading historians came to Annapolis to present papers and hear current scholarship on a variety of topics. The list of papers presented was featured in the most recent PULL TOGETHER that NHF members should have received in the past two weeks.

The Naval Historical Foundation lapel pin was proudly displayed on the suits of many of the attendees. Among those attending, NHF Chairman Admiral Bruce DeMars, USN (Ret.) provided excellent insights as a speaker in a panel on the legacy of Admiral Hyman G. Rickover, USN. Admiral DeMars shared his thoughts on Rickover's enduring legacy with the Nuclear Navy, and provided some amusing anecdotes from his time serving under the Father of the Nuclear Navy.  NHF Director of Programs Dr. Dave Winkler discussed the interrelationship between the Naval Historical Foundation and President Franklin Roosevelt. One of the NHF's first members, Roosevelt was well along in the pursuit of a Navy Museum with a separate tidal basin to host Olympia, Hartford, Constellation, and a World War I destroyer along the banks of the Potomac when he died in April 1945. NHF Web Historian Dave Colamaria spoke about burial practices in the U.S. and British navies during the War of 1812, highlighting the differences between how deceased officers and enlisted received final honors.

Past conferences have proven to be a source for material for the NHF-supported International Journal of Naval History www.ijnhonline.org. We strongly encourage conference participants to consider submitting their papers to Dr. Gary Weir at Gary.E.Weir@nga.mil (or his home address, nobska51@aol.com) for publication in the next edition of this online naval history forum.

One of the benefits of these conferences are the discussions between the sessions and at the receptions. For example, following the symposium, Dr. Duncan Redford of the Royal Navy

Museum called on the Naval Historical Foundation to discuss upcoming programs at the Royal Navy Museum that will highlight topics such as the 30th anniversary of the Falklands War, the naval arms buildup before World War I, and the centennial of the Battle of Jutland.  Look for calls for papers and other announcements about these programs in future editions of WE-Pull Together!

The Multifaceted Maritime World

Maritime Worlds: Transportation, Sciences, Fisheries, Communities, Conflict, Commerce,

The North American Society of Oceanic Historians (NASOH) will hold its conference and annual meeting in Galveston from Sunday, 22 April, through Thursday, 26 April. The headquarters hotel will be the Tremont Hotel in historic downtown Galveston. Texas A&M University at Galveston will serve as the host institution. Members of the Council of American Maritime Museums (CAMM) will meet jointly with NASOH.

The conference will consist of sessions that focus on maritime topics. "Maritime" is broadly construed to include all waterways and the societies which border them; waterborne commerce and transportation; fisheries; marine sciences; exploration; and military and naval conflicts worldwide. Papers focusing on the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and their littoral regions are particularly welcome. NASOH encourages all  interested in these topics to share their research at this conference.

Session proposals should include 1). a cover sheet with the session title as well as the names, affiliations, e-mail addresses, and mailing addresses of all participants, including the chair and commentator; 2). a 300-word description of the session as a whole; 3). a 300-word description for each paper or presentation; and a single-page vita from each participant. Individual paper proposals should include a cover sheet with the paper title, name, affiliation, e-mail address, and a mailing address of the panelist; a 300-word description of the paper; and a single-page vita. Individuals interested in chairing or commenting on a session are invited to submit a single-page vita. These materials should be emailed to the program chair, Dr. James Bradford at jcbradford@tamu.edu. The deadline is 1 January 2012.

Individuals interested in attending the conference should visit the organization's web page, http://www.nasoh.org/. or contact the program chair, Donald Willett at nasoh2012@tamug.edu for further registration information.

The Marine Corps Heritage Foundation is now accepting submissions for its annual awards program. Each year, the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation presents a series of awards honoring the outstanding, creative work of individuals in preserving and propagating the history, traditions and culture of the Marine Corps. Marines and civilians alike may submit their own entries or the distinguished work of others for consideration. Awards will be presented at the Foundation's annual ceremony on April 21, 2012. Submissions deadline is December 31, 2011.

From Active Duty and retired Marines to civilians, the Awards Program draws entries from a broad spectrum of individuals interested in portraying or recognizing some aspect of Marine life, culture, history or work. The Foundation recognizes superior achievement in literature, art, photography, videography, and museum exhibits. Award submissions categories include historical scholarship, journalism and letters and arts for a total of 14 awards. For a detailed list of the awards as well as the submission requirements, please visit: http://www.marineheritage.org/Awards.asp.

"Our annual awards ceremony is a wonderful way to spotlight the creative achievements of civilians and Marines alike," said LtGen Robert R. Blackman, Jr., president and CEO of the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation. "The Foundation deeply appreciates all those who work to advance and preserve Marine Corp history, traditions, and culture and encourages individuals to submit their own work or submit work on behalf of others."

http://navybirthday.org/  

We launched a new website for the Foundation at the beginning of this month, at www.navyhistory.org. One of the new features of this website is a blog, which we're updating several times a week. Here's a highlight of some of the stories we've shared:

BOOK REVIEW: Journey to Command - The Naval Career of Captain J.C. Smith 

Jerry L. Weltzin Recalls Serving in USS JASON (AR 8) 

On Wednesday 31 August, 2011, NHF member Thomas Ostrom, along with Kenneth A. Thamert, Joseph Connell, and James Graham interviewed Jerry L. Weltzin, a proud U.S. Navy veteran and retired IBM employee...    

BOOK REVIEW: Project AZORIAN - the CIA and the Raising of the K-129 

The year 1968 was bad for submarines.  In January the Israelis and the French lost their diesel-electric powered submarines Dakar and Minerve at sea with all hands and a submerged grounding badly damaged the American nuclear-powered fast attack submarine Seawolf (SSN 575)...

Centennial of Naval Aviation Video: "Wings for the Navy" 

This year marks 100 years of naval aviation, and the Navy has celebrated with ongoing events, from public commemorations and publications, to awe-inspiring airshows. These events celebrate the year 1911 - a year which featured a series of landmark achievements in naval aviation...   

Called to Ground Zero 

On the morning of September 11, 2001, I was in the Norfolk, Virginia, office of Commodore Scott Jones when someone came in and said, "Hey, you're from New York. A plane just hit the World Trade Center." We ran to the TV...